As we move into April, and the Easter season, we face uncertain times in the world, with international events not only affecting those in war-torn countries, but also starting to affect people here at home.
The UN Refugee Agency estimate that 3.2 million Iranian people have been temporarily displaced since the start of the recent conflict and 700, 000 people were displaced in one week in Lebanon. As world-wide events start to impact economically here, we are keen to ensure that those who are worst-off in our society and those we help through the project are not forgotten in this period.
We continue to welcome asylum seekers from all over the world, forced to flee their homes due to war, persecution and human rights violations. The welcome refugees and asylum seekers receive when they arrive in a new place can offer some hope in otherwise extremely challenging circumstances. The Justice and Peace Refugee Project continues to provide a warm welcome and safe space for regular and new clients every week, with currently around 500 individuals and families receiving support each month.
Asylum seekers sometimes wait years to have decisions made on their applications and often have to go through appeal processes which can be stressful and challenging. During this time, they are not permitted to work. It is always good news when they receive a positive decision and share it with our volunteers.
Recently two clients were given ‘leave to remain’ after a lengthy wait. The first was one of our destitute clients who received a positive decision after 5 years. He was very happy to share this news with us!
The second was a client and his family from India who have waited 4 years to receive their decision. This client expressed his thanks for the welcome, support and encouragement that his family has received over this time period from the project and said it really helped them to survive. He was thrilled to share with us that he had also been successful in securing employment!
Every year, the Refugee Project produces a report reflecting on the previous year. This contains key facts, reports from the Steering Committee and our Project Co-ordinator, Azad, photographs from the year, information on events which have taken place, success stories and what our clients tell us. You can find the Annual Report for 2025 here.
We continue to rely on the generosity of individuals and parishes for donations for which we are incredibly grateful. Items most urgently needed can be found here.
Please note that the project will not be open on Good Friday, 3rd April or Easter Monday, 6th April.
Happy Easter to you all from everyone at the Justice and Peace Refugee Project.
We continue to rely on the generosity of individuals and parishes for donations for which we are incredibly grateful. As we continue to support so many clients and their families each month, financial support for our work is also essential. Details of our bank account (DHN Justice & Peace Refugee Project) can be found on our webpage. Please consider Gift-Aiding – a Gift Aid Declaration form is available here.
For more details about our work and how you can assist, please contact our Project Co-ordinator at jp.refugeeproject@diocesehn.org.uk or visit our webpage.